Ashes to Ashes: Rebirth
by ShadowCrescent21
Summary: When Twilight Sparkle becomes the new Equestrian Princess, she is plunged into a world of betrayal, pain, and unusual alliances in her attempt to drive out those who seek Equestria for themselves...
1. Chapter 1

**Here we go. An idea (or rather several) I've had bouncing around inside my head for quite a while now. Just now got it down into actual words. This is also my first fanfic I've ever really done. The characters portrayed in My Little Pony and this fanfic are the creations of Hasbro. I own nothing but my OCs. There will be some romance later on, but nothing really heavy.**

Chin high and mane trailing behind me, I strode in through the double doors and continued to move swiftly down the hall, heading straight for the Grand Inquisitor. Hooves pounded a steady rhythm on flagstones as my guards hurried to keep up with me; they carried no visible weapons but still managed to exude a threatening presence. The Grand Hall of the Canterlot Palace was new looking and pristine, like the rest of the magical building. Colorful murals splashed their bright colors upon the whitewashed walls, almost as if they had a light of their own. Normally I loved to pause and gaze at the beautiful works of art that lined this hallway, but today was not a day for simple dallying. Oddly enough, there were no windows in this hall; instead, smokeless magic torches dotted the walls at regular intervals, creating a bright blazing atmosphere. I waltzed in through another doorway without pause, and entered a vaulted circular chamber.

There they sat, my tormentors, fifteen ponies of various shapes and sizes with the Grand Inquisitor in the middle, all stallions. Behind blue draped tables they sat, their low stools colored the same as the table. A hard wooden stool sat in the middle of the room, directly across from the Grand Inquisitor. Undoubtedly it was meant for me, but I ignored it. Instead, I walked right up to where my jury sat, watching me impassively. I came to an abrupt halt right in front of the horrible stallion, glaring down at him. I had recognized him from the doorway, of course; after all, it was I who had agreed to let him keep his Grand Inquisitor post when I became the Princess of Equestria. As I soon discovered, this had been a mistake; I am positive that he was one of the ones who had betrayed me and my friends. I stared directly into his grey eyes, noting their watery, shifty look. The rest of him was as grey as his eyes, and he currently wore a black suit that covered his cutie mark.

I spoke first. "By what right do you presume to maltreat me so?" I demanded. "Sending armed ponies to drag me into this room like some common felon!"

"If you want, I can arrange for you to stay in your cell," he murmured so only I could hear. He raised his voice. "Twilight Sparkle of House Sparkle, you are summoned here in the King's name—"

"The Usurper's name, you mean!" I interrupted him hotly.

The Grand Inquisitor remained unruffled. "You are accused of high treason, numerous cases of murder, illegal magic workings, fornication, misprision, conspiracy to take the Golden Throne in Canterlot, unauthorized use of force, unauthorized alliances with those two-legged aliens—the Humans—conspiracy of—"

"Considering the fact that I have been in mourning since the incident, I must have been extremely busy! As the rightful heir of Princess Celestia, and the rightful Princess of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle, I do not recognize the authority of this so-called court to try me on those or any other charges you were just about to make up to make it appear you knew what you are talking about."

His name had been Grey Slate the night he had sword allegiance to me, the Minister of Inquiry. Now he would probably be called something with Lord in it, a title that would undoubtedly please him. He had always posed as a simple servant to the current ruler(s) of Equestria, using his Unicorn magic to weasel out deceit and lies. At the moment his mission was to see me killed or tortured for my supposed crimes. If he failed that, then I would not be at all surprised if he showed up expecting to work when I won Equestria back.

"I will not settle for anything less than a jury from amongst my peers," I said now. Of course, they had managed to find a way around that.

"This is not a court, traitor. A bill of your crimes have been laid before the Parliament, sentencing you to death for high treason, numerous cases of murder—"

"Why are you repeating yourself? I heard you the first time. I still deny all of these fake charges against me."

No change of expression came across the Grand Inquisitor's face. "If the Parliament signs this bill and determines that you are guilty of these crimes, and then the bill is signed into law by His Majesty, then your head shall be removed from your body. Parliament has provided its own committee to testify you. If you do not wish to testify, you may remain silent."

In other words, I was not required to answer the ensuing questions. Yet if I did not, I would be beheaded. If I did, I would be beheaded anyway. He was also threatening to send me back to my jail cell, which was not too bad—Aside from the fact that six of my friends, who had already been tortured and put through a lot of pain, would be there with me. My eyes flicked quickly at the judges: Seven to the left of the Grand Inquisitor, seven to the right. All of them wearing the same unwavering, unpitying expressions. I knew all of them, although their names were currently a jumble inside my mind. On the night of my coronation they had all sworn fealty to me as the Princess of Equestria. Now here they all sat, determined to find a way to bring about my downfall for good. Amazingly, several of them were able to meet my eyes even now, staring at me in bold defiance. I knew they had all been sent here to condemn me. It would not take long, oh no. Three, maybe four days just so they could pretend to be fair.

So, why bother, then? Why not just drag me out to meet my death? If I had to guess, it was because laws already in place still needed to be observed. Parliament needed to see the "evidence" with its own eyes before it could pass the bill signing my execution. A small bit of tradition probably had to be upheld too; play with me a bit before killing me. Just like I knew, deep down, that tradition was the reason they were planning to behead me, rather than just shoot me outright; that and the fact that a beheading was potentially less messy than blowing my brains out. Then, after the bill was passed and I was executed, the members of Parliament could all go to their homes in Equestria and claim that the Princess was a monster, and that the execution was just. But even with the Parliament's verdict, the citizens of Equestria would not be happy about the killing of their beloved Princess—I am as loved by my people as Princess Celestia before me had been. Nor would my people of Equestria be alone. The monarchs of neighboring countries would be just as outraged at the death of an innocent, intelligent Twilight Sparkle. They would want to find the ones responsible, even if the "evidence" of my crimes were shoved under their noses. At the rate they were going, Equestria was going to soon be at war with itself and at least three other countries. Perhaps that is what the Usurper wants.

"I really protest such injustice!" It did not matter who I was actually speaking to; they all heard me. "I was given less than a two hour notice about this meeting. I have been kept in almost solitary confinement for three months. I have barely had time to read the charges set against me, let alone prepare a defense. I have been denied legal counsel, denied a legal jury consisting of my peers, and I am still expected to answer for my supposed crimes?"

"Again, traitor, this is not a courtroom. Will you or will you not answer the questions we ask you during the inquiry?"

"I shall happily speak with the _noble_ lords of the truth of these matters, provided a few simple conditions are met. I require that I be given the royal honors due to my rank and station: a chair of comfort, a royal title—"

"Traitor Twilight Sparkle, the hearing is now in session. You will now only spoke when spoke to, and failure to comply with this rule will result in your immediate return to confinement, there to await your execution date."

I stared at him for a few seconds, considering. "Let it be known that I agree to testify only under extreme protest!" I exclaimed before moving to that lonely stool in front of the Grand Inquisitor.

"The Parliament will come to order. Lord Secretary, please remind the noble lords of the wording of Clause fifteen, paragraph twenty eight." A slightly hoarse voice started mumbling behind him. I shifted slightly on my uncomfortable stool, thinking rapidly. _I must think strategy._ _I have to find a way to get these idiots off my back and escape from here._ Somewhere behind the opulent walls of the Canterlot palace, I knew my friends would be plotting a way to rescue me. Shadow Crescent may be a mercenary, but he was a stallion of his word. His contract, signed with Princess Celestia years ago, bound him to faithfully serve the Equestrian Royalty whenever the time arose. My brother, Shining Armor and the last remains of the Equestrian Rangers would be with Shadow. There was no way Shining Armor would leave me here. I also knew that Command Sergeant Major Nelson Christensen, the Human commander of Delta Force Stallion, would be helping Shadow and Shining in any way he could. Time and again Nelson and the rest of Delta Force Stallion had come through for me. To them, it mattered not that they were in a fairy tale world, yanked from Earth like strings on a puppet. To them, their military oath obligated them to help me if at all possible. I felt a small thrill of compassion flare through me as I thought of Nelson. I always did whenever the mysterious Human came to mind. But even with this small force of fighters, they would be hard pressed to save me. We are essentially alone on all sides. It would not be so bad if I knew where Captain Steel Keyheart and the rest of the Solar Guards had went into hiding at….

I knew, without a doubt, that the Usurper would not rest easy on his stolen throne while the true Princess of Equestria still lived. Assassination was what I had originally expected: a simple poison in my food or drink would have done the job nicely. After countless days of fretting over it, I eventually just stopped thinking about death all together. Not once, though, had I considered public execution; I had never even dreamed of a public hearing for my "crimes" until the warrant for the hearing had been thrust under my muzzle a short while ago. I could not help but wonder why the Usurper and his new advisors would bother to go through this farce. Perhaps an outcry from the citizens of Equestria had forced his hand in the matter? No matter what the Parliament decided at the end of this hearing, I would die. The thought left me cold and slightly shivering. _What would happen to my people if their beloved Princess were to die? What would happen to my friends?_

The Secretary had stopped. The Grand Inquisitor jumped in again. "Now, first of all, you stand hereby accused in conspiring in the murder of our dearest Princess Celestia, Her Late Majesty of Equestria—"

"No!" I snapped. "I deny that charge with every fiber of my being!"

"How would you describe your feelings and relations to Princess Celestia? Warm? Loyal? Jealous?"

"If you have to ask such a ridiculous question, then you truly know nothing about my dear mentor, or me," I retorted. "I loved her, as we all did. She took me in as her own protégé, to help me learn to control my magic. She offered me love and affection, in addition to generally taking care of me. It did not matter that she was Princess Celestia, the Sun of Equestria, and I was a lowly Unicorn filly named Twilight Sparkle. The only thing that mattered was the joy we shared in learning from each other. As I grew older and more powerful, Princess Celestia became even more proud of me and my abilities. She was as happy as any mother would have a right to be. Eventually she began teaching me life at court. She never spoke of it, but I could guess that eventually I would take her place upon the throne in Canterlot. But to suggest that I had a hand in her assassination? You would be fools to even harvest such a notion."

I had been an unexpected obstacle when the assassin carried out his task. I had been an obstacle that had very nearly saved Princess Celestia's life.

**One year previously**

"Commander."

That's the first thing I remember hearing. I rolled around in bed a little and grumbled something to the negative.

"Commander Keyheart!"

I shot up to attention, recognizing the coloring of the Equine Retractable Organic Nexus Integrated System-clad Pegasus in front of me. She was the only one who would dare enter my chambers and wake me from a sound sleep. "Sergeant Skyflare?" I asked groggily.

"Reporting, sir." She saluted, crisp and smart. I could barely see her, moonlight shining off her armor. Only she would bother with protocol in the middle of the night. "Canterlot is under attack, sir."

"We are under attack? What do you mean? Who is attacking us?" I looked out the window – stars above, torchlight from below.

"I'm pretty sure it's the Rebels, Commander. Their Pegasi ambushed our sentries, dressed in armor as black as the night. Once our sentries were down, the rest started pouring in."

"Did you report to Windblaze? She is captain of night shift," I said, shaking my head. I'll admit, even knowing it was Sergeant Skyflare, I didn't believe a word she spoke to me.

"I can't find her, sir." She got my attention that time. I jerked up straighter, blinking sleep from my eyes the rest of the way.

"I can't find most of the night shift. They're all in disarray – posts are empty all over the palace." I stared at her for a full second. To be honest, it was probably not my most glorious moment of being a Solar Guard.

"What time is it?" I asked worriedly.

"Eleven at night, sir. I checked the clock in the mages atrium."

Celestia bless my lover – always on top of things. If she were not so content to follow my orders, she could easily get promoted to take my place.

"Where's the rest of the Solar and Lunar Guards?" I asked. "Is there _anypony_ still trying to defend the palace?"

"I don't know, sir. I came here as quickly as I could. The way things are shaping up right now, you are the only commanding officer left."

I nodded distractedly. "Armor," I said, concentrating on the giant topaz affixed to a chain at my throat. I felt the familiar flow of armor across my Earth Pony form, completely silent. It started at my tail, and then traveled up and across. The plating on my tail is light and supple, bending as my tail lashed with nerves. The armor covering my upper back and legs is made of harder material, protecting the more venerable parts of my body. My hooves ended in heavy spiked boots. I held my head still as my helmet started to encase my head, tapering out to accommodate my muzzle. Words suddenly flashed across my vision as my suit powered up.

General Automatic Weapons Display

Equine Retractable Organic Nexus Integrated System Online  
Weapons Checking….. Online  
Heads-up Display Checking….. Online  
Downloading Map… Done—Online  
Targeting Systems… Online  
Shields… Powering Up… Online  
Integrating Neural Processing… Done

ERONIS Ready

The words disappeared, and in their place appeared my familiar Heads-up Display. My weapon load-out popped into existence on the right side of my vision. A circular mini map blinked to life in the upper left, with a small readout of various parts of my armor—all systems were operating at one hundred percent capacity. As I flicked my eyes around my suddenly bright room, a square optical target followed the direction I was looking in.

"Let's go," I said. We stepped out into the flickering light of the barrack's halls. I remember being thrown right away – it was empty. Even in the middle of the night there should have been Lunar Guards out and about, as well as a few serving fillies and maintenance stallions.

"What's that?" Skyflare asked, flicking her ears towards the open windows. From here, we couldn't see much – just a few enclosed gardens. But I could hear it, too: The sounds of gunfire. Explosions and the harsh cries of orders echoed in through the window as well.

"It sounds like the fight is already going bad for us," I said.

A bloodcurdling scream ripped through the walls of the barracks, rising higher and higher before ending in a sharp cry of pain, and then ominous silence.

"Skyflare, go rally the troops. There has to be some here in the barracks," I said.

"Sir, there is no one here but us. I checked on my way up to wake you up."

It took a moment for her words to sink in. I turned to stare at her, eyes wide behind my helmet.

"Steel," Skyflare whispered, using my first name. She never did that while we are on duty. "We are not going to make it through this, are we? We've already lost too many troops. By the time the Equestrian Rangers get here it will be too late."

"Don't talk like that, love. We'll be fine. We have two powerful Princesses on our side, and somewhere out there we still have the Elements of Harmony. They will help keep us safe. But for now, we must find the Princesses. They will know what to do to repel this invasion."

Skyflare nodded at me, and I nodded back. We had discussed this kind of thing, privately. Equestria hadn't known war for thousands of years, not since the final days of Queen Silvia Violetdew; not since Violetdew brought about the Day of Harmony as the last act of her life. But being the soldiers we were, war was never far from our thoughts. We both took off, racing along the halls of the barracks towards the main exit. I could not help wondering if what Skyflare had said was true. We've known that the Rebels had been planning on doing something major sometime soon. The most we could do was strengthen our security and wait. But even with all the extra measures things were starting to look pretty bleak for us now that the Rebels had attacked. I picked up my pace, almost galloping down the marble halls of the palace; Skyflare took to the air and glided close behind me.

I made my way through a few side corridors – the shortest path I knew to Their chambers. Every corner I turned set me more on edge – the palace was deserted. Empty. Dark and devoid, where there were always soldiers and servants and various palace staff. The place was starting to feel abandoned. Skyflare and I burst into the main corridor leading to Their chambers. This had to be where They would be at, trying to direct Their troops as best They could. Ahead of me I could make out a small knot of Solar and Lunar Guards, and standing there in the middle of them….

I breathed a sigh of relief. They were both there, just fine, of course. You could hardly miss Them – we don't often see Princess Celestia up and about at night, but it's really something. She lit up the whole hallway much brighter than the torches the other ponies carried. Beside her stood her sister, Princess Luna, just as glorious as Celestia with the full moon shining from above. I raced down the corridor to the Princesses, Skyflare gliding at her customary point above my right shoulder. Both Royal Ponies were listening to a report from a Lunar Guard.

"...bedlam in the streets, Your Highnesses." I could not see his fear-filled eyes inside his helmet, but I could hear the fear in his voice. He sounded completely undisciplined. "The panic is spreading as ponies wake up. The Rebels are looting homes and killing civilians without a thought about anything..."

"Then what are you all doing here instead of out there stopping them?" I cut in. I ranked him, no matter what else was going on at the moment. He shifted uneasily as he took in my presence.

"Commander Keyheart," the Lunar Guard muttered, saluting clumsily.

"Well?" I demanded. "Why are you all here when you should be out there trying to stop our enemies? Where is Captain Windblaze?"

"She and her Elite forces are trying to drive back the invaders," another guard said. Her tone was completely inappropriate for addressing a superior officer. "We are here to ensure the safety of the Princesses."

Princess Celestia broke in at this point. "I do not think we need protecting," she said, before turning her kind, regal gaze onto me. "Good evening, Commander of my Solar Guards. It is nice to see that you are well."

"Reporting for duty, Your Majesty," I bowed. "What's the situation? Where exactly is Captain Windblaze?"

"They killed her!" A young colt of a guard said, almost hysterical.

"That's a load of manure," the mare guard said. "She was still fighting last I had seen her."

"Watch your tongue in front of the Princess!" Skyflare said. "Princess Celestia, do you know where Windblaze is? Where are the Elements of Harmony? Are they safe?"

"I'm not sure where Windblaze is, but I know she is still alive, and leading her squad in the defense of Canterlot. My last report confirmed that General Shining Armor of the Equestrian Rangers is with her, along with four full companies of his Rangers. As for the Elements of Harmony, they are fighting too."

I was impressed. "Is it wise to let the Elements fight, your Majesty?"

This time, it was Princess Luna who spoke. I had almost forgotten she was there. "It is not for my sister nor I to decide whether or not the Elements fight. That is why Celestia and I have been training them in the art of combat."

"Our first priority is the safety of our citizens," Princess Celestia said. "You are to assemble your troops, Commander Steel Keyheart, as many as you can find. Go reinforce Windblaze and Shining Armor, if you can find them. If you can't, set about protecting as many of our citizens as possible.

I bowed. "Yes, m'lady."

"Uh... Your Highness? What about the palace?" It was that rude mare again. I couldn't believe it, her questioning the Princess like that.

"The Palace can be rebuilt," Princess Luna said. "We must ensure the safety of the civilians. Commander Keyheart, you have your orders."

"Yes, Your Majesties. Solar and Lunar Guards, move out!"

My eyes flew open unexpectedly. My vision was slightly blurry, my ears were ringing. Sounds faded in and out like a badly tuned radio. With an enormous effort of will, I focused on the words of somepony next to me.

"….get up, Twilight!" The voice cried urgently. "Come on, we have to move!" I blinked slowly. The Heads-up Display in my helmet came into clearer focus. The General Automatic Weapons Display showed a sea of red, hostile dots in front of my current position. A few green dots gleamed amongst all the red, marking my allies. One of the green dots, a minty green Unicorn, was beside me, trying to get me onto my hooves again. My befuddled mind tried to put a name to the armor coloring. This Unicorn was…. Lyra Heartstrings! I remembered now. There was the distinctive harp cutie mark on the armored flank. An unexpected magical blast was the cause of my loss of consciousness, I recalled. I opened my mouth to speak when my General Automatic Weapons Display flashed a warning across my vision. In front of me an armored Earth stallion had appeared, twin side mounted cannons attached to his Equine Retractable Organic Nexus Integrated System. Lyra, still focused on trying to rouse me, had not yet noticed this threat.

I reacted instantly. I surged to my hooves, my own ERONIS armor propelling me at a greatly increased speed. GAWD automatically locked onto the foe in front of me as I moved. A side mounted machine gun popped out of my armor and blasted the Earth pony, the anti-magic rounds from the machine gun instantly negating his wards and shields. The hapless pony collapsed, down for the count. I averted my eyes as the body of the stallion twitched once, and then went still. _Another pony life I have taken. How many has that been now? Seven? Eight? More? Oh Celestia, I don't know! _My eyes then flicked over my HUD again, taking stock of my allies. All six of them were still operating at one hundred percent capacity, including Lyra. The mint green armored Unicorn in question glanced from me to where the Earth pony had been. "So, I assume you are okay?"

I grinned joylessly inside my helmet. "I'm fine, Lyra. You should pay better attention to GAWD. Let the program tell you when danger is approaching. It can usually point out hazards better than we can, even with our magic."

"Yes, Captain," Lyra replied to her mentor, properly chastened.

"Ugh," I groaned. "Cut it out with that Captain stuff. You know I don't like it."

A Pegasus in familiar cyan blue armor alighted in front of me. "What else are we supposed to call you?" Rainbow Dash asked. Out of all of my friends, Rainbow was the one who seemed most comfortable with fighting. But even the spunky cyan Pegasus could not stop the lives she has taken from weighing heavily on her mind.

"You can just call me Twilight," I muttered, knowing it would go unheard.

Dash appeared to think for a moment. "Nah. You are the most powerful of all of us, with you and your magic. You are our leader." Dash seemed to shrug in her armor. "And, I trust you. That razor sharp mind has never let me or the rest of us down yet. You've always been kind of our leader." Dash shook herself, as if to get rid of her moment of sentiment. "Now, come on!" She called, sounding like her normal self. "Let's kick some flank so we can go rest!" Dash took to the air again, searching for targets.

No sooner had she gone, however, a trio of Unicorns charged at me and Lyra. Time seemed to slow as my mind whirred into overdrive, my ERONIS armor providing me with a great deal more clarity than normal. The lead Unicorn mare had a slight orange-red tint to the magic forming on her horn, as did the stallion on her right; those two were preparing a Red Beam of Fire. The small mare on the left had a bright blue-white overglow upon her horn; she was casting a Blue Blizzard of Ice. All three attackers had three wards hovering at their sides.

My mind dashed from scenario to scenario, trying to find the best way to stop all three types of magic quickly enough to counter attack. I could cast a Blazing Ward of Fire, and then integrate a Freezing Ward of Ice inside the first ward. But by the time the Wards could absorb the attacks, the Unicorns could have more attacks inbound. And, strictly speaking, magic of different elements were not meant to be combined. It would take all of my willpower to hold the Wards in place. I could also form a Shield of Absolute Sanctity, but that would leave me unable to attack while the shield held. I finally discarded all normal defensive spells for a spell I had created myself: A Violet Ward of Unraveling. Once this Ward was in place, not only would it cause any spells (or even anything) that touched it to simply disintegrate, but it would also allow Lyra and I enough time to prepare counter spells while the Ward held. With a single thought I set my magic flowing, rippling across me and Lyra. In moments the two of us where encased by a glowing, transparent Violet wall.

A half second later, the attacking magicians loosed their magic. I felt a small surge of satisfaction as the magical attacks struck my Ward and disappeared in a flash of static. Before the sparks from the failed attacks had faded, I was already preparing a Black Bolt of Shadow. But this time around, Lyra beat her mentor to the attack, lancing an Orange Ray of Destruction at the lead Unicorn. The stallion went down with a surprised grunt, having no time to move his own wards to stop the Ray. A split second later my Bolt arched out, striking the same stallion again. He faded into nothing, the Bolt eating away at his form. I conjured three of my fastest wards just in time to halt a return Ray and Beam from the two remaining foes. I flexed my mind a bit, ensuring that my Wards were as strong as ever. Gathering a small bit of my magical energy, I entered the Twisting Nether, teleporting directly behind my targets, their un-Warded flanks mine for the attacking. GAWD locked on to them both instantly, recognizing that the hostiles where no longer adequately protected. A quick burst of machine gun fire ended the farce. The last bit of magic to dissipate was my Unraveling.

I stepped over the corpses of my latest advisories, stomach churning. _Oh Celestia, why won't it just _stop?_ How many more lives must I take to stop the Rebels from taking everything I hold dear?_ That right there was the crux of the problem. As far as I was concerned, the Rebels could take Canterlot. They could impose themselves as the new rulers of Equestria. I could not care what they did; so long as my friends were safe. But I knew, now, that the Rebels would not be content to just overthrow Princess Celestia and Princess Luna and seize Equestria as their own. The full scaled attack on Canterlot in progress proved it. They wanted to completely subdue the Equestrian Princesses. They wanted to kill the Royalty. They would slaughter hundreds of hundreds of ponies just to get their points across. Above all else, they wanted to see six mares dead at their feet: the Elements of Harmony. We are the only mares powerful enough to save the Princesses, and save Equestria; the only mares that possessed the little bits of jewelry that could overthrow all of their plans.

The funny thing was me and my friends had no clue to where the Elements of Harmony were. They had simply disappeared. The spells I had woven to protect the Elements had not been disturbed. The Elements, for all intents and purposes, had ceased to exist. This is why I now found myself in some hallway of the Canterlot Palace, fighting for my friends and my Princesses. The Rebels did not care that the Elements had gone. They still wanted the six mares that could use them out of the way. I felt that familiar spark of anger return to my chest as I thought about my friends being in danger. I _would not_ lose my friends, Spike included. I couldn't lose Lyra. So much has changed in such a short amount of time. But I and my friends were still standing firm.

I am yanked from my inner turmoil as a yellow armored Pegasus fluttered wearily down to me. The Pegasus spoke softly, her voice almost lost in the echo of gunfire in explosions taking place inside Canterlot. "T-Twilight, are you okay?"

I felt a small warmth bloom in my chest, chasing away the core of anger I had felt earlier. I butted my head against the newcomer's helmet, causing the Pegasus to squeak, startled, before she relaxed. "I'm fine, Fluttershy," I said.

"Are you sure?" the timid medic pony asked, her nursing instincts getting the better of her shyness. Unlike the rest of my friends, who all took to fighting as something that needed done to ensure their survival, Fluttershy has of yet never attacked another pony since all of this craziness began. Instead, she used magical first aid supplies to act as a medic to her friends and generally any ally they met, bandaging wounds and mending moral. Rather than use her General Automatic Weapons Display integrated into her ERONIS armor to find and target hostiles, Fluttershy used GAWD to find wounded ponies and tend to them.

"I'm completely fine, Fluttershy, I promise. We'll get through all this madness, together."

Fluttershy nodded slightly. "I-I know. As long as I have my friends I'll be fine."

"That's the spirit," I said encouragingly. "Let's go, Lyra, Fluttershy. We need to find our Princesses.

We pushed our way forward as best we could, Lyra by my side. The pair of us was more than a match for any magicians we encountered. Applejack was limping; an anti-magic round had winged her right foreleg, eating right through the shielding and ERONIS armor. Fluttershy had patched her up as best she could with a magical bandage, but until we could stop and take a proper look at the wound that was the best our medic pony could do. Rainbow Dash was grounded, her left wing fractured by falling masonry. The blue Pegasus was snarling quietly to herself as she emptied round after round into anypony who stood in our way. Pinkie Pie and Rarity brought up the rear. Pinkie was uncharacteristically silent as Rarity took care of Rebels attacking from behind. I am afraid that the fighting has really gotten to the normally hyperactive Earth pony. Rarity was just as ominously silent.

"Twilight!" A vaguely familiar voice was calling my name from a side corridor. I glanced up, startled, GAWD seeking potential enemies before I realized that the dots on my radar were green. A chocolate brown armored Earth stallion trotted up to me, followed by a midnight blue Pegasus mare and a ragtag band of Solar and Lunar Guards. The newcomers halted in front of me, and the stallion saluted. "Steel Keyheart reporting, my Lady, Commander of the Solar Guards."

I frowned. Since when was I a noble Lady? "At ease, soldier." I instructed. "Is there any word from Princess Celestia or Princess Luna? Do you know where my brother is?" I fired the questions rapidly.

"I've not seen your brother since I joined the fighting, my Lady. My orders from the Princesses were to ensure the safety of Canterlot citizens and to join up with General Shining Armor if I found him." Steel Keyheart seemed to wince inside is ERONIS. "The problem is, there are not very many citizens left to protect. Those that have not been murdered have fled. So, Sergeant Skyflare, the rest of our troops, and I decided we might have better luck tracking the Elements of Harmony down."

My friends gathered around me, eager for a respite from the fighting and curious to know who the newcomers where. "Can you lead us to the Princesses?" Rainbow Dash asked through gritted teeth. Even though the tough Pegasus refused to say so, I could tell she was in pain.

"Of course, Lady Rainbow Dash." Steel saluted again. "I'll lead you back the way we came. As far as I am aware they are still outside the hallway leading to their chambers."

Steel Keyheart turned to lead the way, his band of troops closing ranks around my friends and I. For once, there was no fighting to do. Keyheart had cleared this corridor on his way down. Silence reigned, broken only by the sound of metal shod hoofbeats. My eyes roved over the hallway, uneasy. Things were suddenly too quiet. The distant explosions and the sound of gunfire had died down. GAWD insisted that there were no foes nearby, but I was still expecting an ambush. My uneasiness only grew as we drew closer to the Royal Chambers. Where was everypony? It was almost a relief when GAWD beeped softly at me: there was an enemy ahead. My eyes widened in dismay when my radar suddenly flared with numerous red dots. There were so many I could not even begin to count them. I focused on GAWD's radar, zooming in on the area it showed. There were only four non-hostile ponies in the sea of red. I had a nasty feeling I knew who two of those four were.

Our troop rounded a corner and my fears were confirmed. Rebel ponies filled the hallway before us, focused on their pray. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were backed against the wall, inches from the doors to their bedchambers. Rebels ringed the two Princesses, cutting off any avenue of escape. Standing guard in front of Celestia and Luna was General Shining Armor, my brother, and a Pegasus I assumed to be Captain Windblaze. Both soldiers looked terrible. Shining Armor's ERONIS was battered and badly dented, but still looked quite operational. Windblaze's ERONIS was worse. The front chest plate was crushed inward, as if it had taken a heavy caliber round. To my enhanced ears, her breathing was labored; the armor that was designed to protect her was making it hard for her to breath. Despite all this, the Rebels just waited passively.

I heard a soft intake of breath behind me as Keyheart saw the full extent of the stalemate before us. The Rebels closest to us began to turn, their own targeting systems alerting them.

"Attack," Keyheart ordered softly. With a small cry, his handful of troops rushed forward, Skyflare among them. Friendly gunfire tore through the ranks of enemies, the magic bullets tearing through several ponies before they lost their momentum. GAWD automatically locked onto several enemies at once; with barely a thought I told my systems to attack. Twin assault rifles swiveled out of the sides of my ERONIS, slaying enemies as fast as GAWD could target them. Applejack and Rainbow Dash followed the Solar Guards into the fray without saying a word. Pinkie Pie disappeared for a moment, lost in the confusion. I saw her appear behind Shining Armor and Windblaze, talking rapidly to the two defenders. All three of them started making their way towards Fluttershy, who was still hanging back. Upon seeing two wounded ponies to take care of, the timid pony let out and adorable squeak and scrambled to collect supplies she'd need. Lyra covered for the medic pony.

Throughout all of this, I had only eyes for the Solar and Lunar Princess. They stood back to back; horns alight as they held Rebel magicians at bay. Wards swirled around the sisters almost faster than my normal eyes could follow, deflecting attack after attack. A stray Green Dagger of Earth avoided Celestia's wards and struck her breastplate and ricocheted off to the side. Luna retaliated with a beam of pure black energy, not even trying to form it into a spell. The beam stuck a Rebel Unicorn; she exploded, throwing others off their feet. Even as I started towards the Princesses to assist them, I noticed something else: The door to the Royal Chambers was slowly opening. I could just make out the outline of a sniper rifle affixed to an ERONIS; the rifle was trained directly on Princess Celestia.

I barely had half a second to think. "No!" I cried in horror. My ERONIS enhanced mind focused, drawing power from the leylines surrounding me. A Shield of Absolute Sanctity winked into existence around the Royalty just before the hidden sniper fired.

Time slowed down as I watched that single bullet speed towards my barrier. It met the Shield and I felt a small flash of relief, confident that the lethal projectile would be turned back. My blood turned to ice as the bullet pierced straight through my shield like it was not even there. I could only stare as the bullet went straight through Princess Celestia's unprotected shoulder and out the other side. Princess Celestia collapsed, blood streaming down her glorious white coat.

"No!" I screamed again, my voice distorted by fear and pain. "No, no, no!" I felt myself lose it, then. GAWD continued to take down enemies around me in my mad dash to reach Celestia's side. My horn flared to life without conscious thought, smiting down foes with concentrated bolts of pure violet energy. My ERONIS propelled me forward. In a flash I was next to the fallen Solar Princess' side. I did not even flinch when my ERONIS armor popped out a missile turret from my shoulder and fired at a mass of Rebels off to one side. The explosion ripped the hallway apart. I only had eyes for my dying mentor.

Yes, Celestia was not dead yet, but her breathing was strained. She looked up at me with eyes that were kind and warm, even now. "Hold still, Princess. I'll have you patched up in no time."

"No, my faithful student," Celestia's voice was barely a whisper. "This wound is beyond your magic prowess."

"No! I can heal you! Just give me a moment…" I trailed off, focusing on the leylines again.

"You cannot, Twilight Sparkle. Even if you could, it would not help. Now listen to me. These Rebels could not have made it into Canterlot without advice from the inside. Our defenses were too strong for them to just blindly rush in. I believe somepony on my Council betrayed me, but I do not know who."

I tried to speak, but Celestia spoke over me. "Listen to me, Twilight. You must make sure you are protected. The Rebels will come for you and your friends, next, especially you, Twilight."

I finally found my voice. "What do you mean, especially me, Princess?"

"You are my heir, Twilight Sparkle."

"No," I spoke the words automatically. "No Princess, I can't be! You'll be fine, just fine!" I could hear the demented desperation in my voice.

"The time has come for me and my sister to leave thou world and make our accent back into our home, Twilight Sparkle." Princess Luna's voice was very soft. "You, and whomever thou mate will be are the new rulers of Equestria. You and your friends are all our kingdom has left."

"But—I can't! I don't know how, I don't know what to do! Why me?"

"Twilight," Celestia's voice is more quiet than before. "You're hesitancy to take the Throne is proof why it must be you. You will be fine. Find a mercenary called Shadow Crescent. He shall know what to do. I formed a contract with him solely for this purpose. Now, Twilight, move quickly. Remove my shoes."

I stared at my mentor, dumbly. It was just too much to take in. I did as she asked, dazedly, my magic making the job easier.

"Now, remove my golden breastplate. My magic easily plucked the sacred piece from Celestia's breast. She looked oddly naked to my eyes without it. "Lastly, Twilight Sparkle, remove my crown." I had no choice but to obey.

"My regalia now belong to you, Twilight Sparkle, the seventh Princess of Equestria, Bearer of the Element of Magic." Those where the last words the great Alicorn spoke to me; with a small shuddering sigh, I felt the essence of life leave her through the leylines. The leylines seemed to cry in her passing. I felt a hoof upon my shoulder. I looked up into Princess Luna's deep night eyes. "I am required to join my sister now, Twilight Sparkle. Neither of us can live while the other is dead; such is the ancient rule that binds us. I can offer you some advice before I go. Shadow Crescent is the key to thou understanding what hast been happening. He is a good mercenary, and extremely loyal to my sister and I. Do not fret about attempting to find him, as he is already on his way to you. Secondly, take my regalia, and handle it with care. You ruling partner, when you find them, shall wear it. Lastly, take this."

The Lunar Princess levitated up what appeared to be an ordinary oval mirror. She saw my befuddled expression and chuckled gently. "This is not just a mirror, young Twilight. It is a gateway to a new realm. It is a realm that has been around as long as ours has; a realm that has interacted with us in the far past. Shadow Crescent can tell you how to use it. Go through this gateway to a place called Earth, and seek out allies there. You shall know they are allies when a creature there mentions something about defending his homeland."

I could only stare at the Night Princess. "I am sorry, Twilight," she said softly. "That is all I can tell you. Even a goddess cannot tamper too much with the workings of Fate. Now, I must leave you."

Princess Luna closed her eyes for a moment, and I thought she was trying to fall asleep standing up. The she collapsed, her legs falling out from under her. She was no longer breathing. I was left there standing with the Relics of the Equestrian Royalty, too stunned to even move. Everything had happened so fast. I heard hoofbeats approaching softly. I glanced up to find an unknown Pegasus stallion standing before me. He had deactivated his ERONIS. His mane and tale are a deep purple color, his coat pitch black. Little tufts of purple hair rose from all four of his hooves, and intricate purple lines danced around his otherwise black form. His eyes were a few shades of violet lighter than my own. "Are you okay, Twilight?" The stallion's voice was soft and kind, yet still carried an unmistakable weight of command. "I am Shadow Crescent."

For the first time, he seemed to notice the bodies of the two once powerful Alicorns behind me. Behind Shadow himself, a scene of carnage greeted my eyes.

"So, it has begun." Shadow said softly. He startled me by sinking low to his front knees. Behind him, all of my friends, Keyheart, Windblaze, Skyflare, the surviving Solar Guards and Equestrian Rangers followed suit. Even my own brother, General Shining Armor, was kneeling in his battered armor.

"All hail Twilight Sparkle, seventh Princess of Equestria, Bearer of the Element of Magic," Steel Keyheart intoned from his kneeling position. "My binding oath has accepted this change, Princess Sparkle. You are the true heir of Princess Celestia. My soldiers and I are sworn to protect you and offer your aid."

Shining Armor was next, sounding as if he did not believe what he was seeing. "The Equestrian Rangers stand by you, your Majesty."

One by one, every living ally in the hallway pledged allegiance to me. Even my friends did. There was a small smile tugging at Pinkie Pie's lips, the first I had seen since this life changing night had started. Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at me proudly, ignoring their wounds and aches long enough to stand at attention. Fluttershy had no idea what had just happened, and was watching me like I was going to bark an order at her. Rarity simply beamed. Lyra's eyes were swimming with tears.

Then the Pegasus in front of me spoke. "Our contract has been transferred over to you, Princess Sparkle. The Grail Mercenaries stand by you, my liege."

I could only stand there mutely. I had no idea how to react or what to say. Before I could stammer some reply, there came a great shout from the end of the hallway. Glancing over, I saw more ERONIS clad ponies milling about. At their head was the Minister of Inquiry, Grey Slate. His eyes were wide with shock, and I suddenly became increasingly uncomfortable with how the scene appeared to a casual observer: Both the Solar and the Lunar Princesses dead at my feet, their royal regalia lying at my feet. Before things could turn ugly, Shining Armor had already risen to his hooves again to attempt to explain the situation. Meanwhile, I swayed on my hooves, suddenly overcome with mental and physical exhaustion. My ERONIS armor slowly faded away, and darkness claimed me.

**And, first chapter is done! Please review. Go Twilight Sparkle! Go Lyra Heartstrings!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, here is Chapter Two. Please let me know what you think. Again, I own nothing but my OCs. Enjoy!**

My eyes flew open as I finished recounting my tale. Fifteen pairs of eyes stared back at me impassively. I waited for them to speak. After several seconds—or possibly a few hours—or even a couple of Sunlit days, the Grand Inquisitor in front of me spoke. "The council has listened to your unbelievable tale, traitor. However, as the day has grown unexpectedly late, you will be returned to your cell to await our pleasure tomorrow. You are dismissed."

I stared at him in shock. This was it? After several hours of talking, of telling all fifteen of those ponies my tale, and willing them to believe me, they did not even have the decency to tell me their verdict? Did they honestly expect me to recount all of the events that took place from the time of Princess Celestia's death until they had drug me into this droll room earlier? I did not even bother to resist when my guards reentered the room and tugged me along with them. I calmly shook off their restraining hooves, completely ignoring their presence. Just as they had when I had first stridden down this corridor to confront the Grand Inquisitor, the guards were forced to almost gallop to keep up with my barely restrained stride. Down the identical halls we went. As we descended, it started to grow colder. I fought the urge to shiver. Then, once again, I had arrived at my imprisonment.

I left myself inside without a backwards glance. My jail keepers locked the door behind me, the key turning in the lock with a resounding finality. I stood in the doorway for a moment, blinking, letting my eyes adjust to the gloomy interior. The only light source was a single torch set high into the ceiling. The first things I saw were my friends. Lyra Heartstrings was the first to move, roused from a light slumber by my entrance. She blinked up at me slightly dazedly. "Twilight," she called softly, recognizing me. "Are you okay?"

"As well as one could expect, Lyra. How are _you_ holding up?"

Lyra shrugged, throwing her injuries into sudden, sharp relief. Her once minty green coat was caked with her blood; numerous shallow wounds crisscrossed her body, the source of all the blood. Her once dual colored green and white mane is disheveled and dirty, and her tail is ragged. A small bruise was forming over her left eye, making it harder for the Unicorn to see. "I'm fine, Twilight, honestly I am," came the reply. "Those goons will have to try harder than this to make me betray my Princess."

I felt the familiar glow settle in my stomach at Lyra's words. I then glanced around as my other five friends awoke from fitful dozes, some more awake than others. Applejack was the first to approach me for a hug. The farm pony was just in bad a shape as Lyra. Both her eyes are bruised and swollen. Her once blond mane is black and streaked with more blood. Hoof shaped bruises dotted the cowpony's ribcage and lower back. "Ah sure am glad to see ya back in one piece, Twi."

I returned Applejack's hug. "I'm still going to get us out of here.

"Aw shucks, I know ya will. Between Shadow Crescent and that Human Marine of yours, I almost feel sorry for our tormenters."

Rarity was the next to step up to her purple friend. Rarity was devoid of any physical wounds. But her once glorious mane had been chopped almost completely off, and her gleaming white coat was streaked with dirt and sweat, obscuring part of her three diamond cutie mark. Her tail was just as short has her hair. Pinkie Pie dragged herself up next to Rarity. The pink earth pony was bound around the legs, preventing her from much movement. A black muzzle was fastened around her mouth, stopping any form of speech. It also prevented her from smiling, and bringing smiles to her friends. Her outrageously pink hair had long since lost its bouncy demeanor; not being able to talk or move was the worst possible thing that could have been done to her. Fluttershy limped up on the other side of me, the splint on her left hind leg tapping gently on the stone floor. The yellow Pegasus was in much better shape than any of the others, but her leg had been broken by a drunken guardspony, and she was missing several wing feathers. My shy friend nuzzled me gently. Only one friend did not move from the position she was lying in, although I could see those captivating magenta eyes staring right at me, begging for help I could not offer her.

Rainbow Dash was the worse out of all six mares. Both hind legs had been broken, long since set into an expert splint by Fluttershy. Rainbow's hooves are chapped and bleeding, the result of fighting against her captors every moment they came for the cyan Pegasus. Her once sleek body sported an assortment of hoof shaped bruises like Applejack. But the most painful injury of all was Rainbow Dash's wings. Uncountable feathers had been ripped from those once glorious engines of flight. Both wings had then been broken in several places; poor Fluttershy had done her best to splint them, but could not do much with the limited supplies the medical pony had. The end result was that while Fluttershy had eased a bit of Rainbow's pain, the spunky Pegasus was still in a world full of hurt. I stepped gently over to my brave friend, curling up around the blue form as Rainbow sighed gently, always happy for the company. While the rest of my friends settled in around their Princess, I tried to force her mind to sleep. Instead, I lie awake as I always did.

A distant part of me wanted to lash out at something, anything in anger. A more real part of me was full of sadness and remorse.

I could still remember that day clearly. I would never forget it, watching one of the ponies I respected and love die practically in my hooves. For a while after the incident, I was practically a shell. I ate only when I had to. I only spoke when spoken to, and when I was expected to give a reply. I simply stopped caring. Princess Celestia was gone; truly and completely dead. I was not sure at the time why her death seemed like it affected me so. Sure, she was my mentor. She was the motherly figure in my life. But to me, it felt as though I had lost my own mother. I only managed to rouse myself from the self induced depression with the aid of Shadow Crescent. I still remember the slightly disappointed look he had given me, as though I was somehow failing his expectations. Unbidden, the memory of the day I learned the full truth about everything swam to the forefront of my mind; this was one memory I _could not_ let the Grand Inquisitor know about.

_Echoing hoofsteps raced up and down the magnificent hall. Sunlight, almost painfully bright to my eyes, streamed in through the stained glass windows and through the lapis lazuli studded ceiling. I knew this hall. It was called the Hall of Victory. I recognized several of the stained windows. There was one of me and my five friends using the Elements of Harmony to rid Princess Luna of Nightmare Moon. There was another one of the Elements of Harmony encasing Discord back into stone. A window opposite showed my brother, Shining Armor, and his mare Princess Cadance, banishing the Changeling hordes from Canterlot. There were several more I recognized, though I had no idea what event had caused them to be placed there._

_ Shadow Crescent and his lieutenant, Midnight Chaos lead the way down the hallway, almost as if we were going to check upon the Elements of Harmony; Surely Shadow knew that the six Elements were missing? Behind me, Bon-Bon and Ditzy Doo followed me and their mercenary captain, sunlight glinting off of their ERONIS. Lyra Heartstrings had attempted to persuade me to let her come too, so she could spend more time with Bon-Bon; the two lovers have seen precious little of each other since Bon-Bon became a mercenary and Lyra became my student. Shadow, however, had refused. The only reason he kept three of his mercs around was for protection if it was needed._

_ My small posse approached the great door that used to house the Elements of Harmony. Rather than attempt to open the door, Shadow Crescent led the way off to the side. There was a small door there, easily concealed; I never would have known it was there until Shadow led me through it. "This is not what you expected, is it, Twilight Sparkle?" Shadow's voice was soft, almost reverential._

_ "I thought we were going to enter the room that once held the Elements," I admitted, a bit sheepishly._

_ Shadow chuckled a bit at that. "No, I already know the Elements have disappeared. I am leading you to the Vaults."_

_ I frowned slightly. "The Vaults?" I asked. "What are those?"_

_ "They hold the entire history of Equestria, Twilight."_

_ I felt my eyes go wide with this information. "The history of Equestria? You mean that everything that has ever happened in this land has been recorded?"_

_ "Yes," Midnight spoke now, her stoic voice as soft as Shadow's. "That is the magic of this room. Everything that happens, every little detail, becomes recorded in the magic of the Vaults. I would not be surprised if the Vault is recording this conversation as we speak it."_

_ "Well," I began. "I am sure that the entire history of our land is fascinating, but what does this have to do with me?"_

_ Shadow glanced back at me for a moment, as if he was going to judge my reaction to his next words. "Princess Twilight Sparkle, it is time for you to learn the truth. About everything. It is time for you to recognize who you really are."_

_ "I know who I am!" I insist slightly puzzled at the way the mercenary was speaking. "What do you mean recognize who I really am?"_

_ Shadow shook his head. "We shall let the Vault show you. It is not my place to tell you, nor describe it to you." We stopped just outside of an arch in the middle of the small hallway. The lighting was ethereal, casting huge shadows out of virtually nothing. There were archaic carvings lining the walls, depicting various scenes. The one closest to me showed Princess Celestia and Princess Luna raising and lowering the Sun and the moon. "The Vaults lie just beyond this Arch, Twilight Sparkle. Go within it, and learn all you can. We shall remain outside as guards."_

_ "Are you not going to come with me?" I asked, worry tingeing my voice._

_ Bon-bon and Ditzy Doo shook their heads slowly. "It is not for our eyes, Princess," Ditzy said softly. Her lopsided golden eyes tried to fixate on me. "Shadow Crescent entered one time, with the permission of Princess Celestia. When he came out, we could not get him to speak to us for three days afterward."_

_ "It is a heavy responsibility, to see the entirety of Equestria," Bon-Bon added. "Go on, Twilight; learn what you can so that we might win this war that is sure to come."_

_ I faced the arch and gulped. Holding my breath, I stepped through and was instantly swallowed by a suffocating darkness. I started to panic. I could practically feel nothing. No sigh of wind. No light. No sound. I focused on my horn, but nothing happened. It refused to light. My breathing suddenly sounded loud and ragged in my ears, as though someone had turned up my hearing. The next thing I became aware of, however, was the _magic_. This room thrummed with a magic older than any I had ever felt before. The familiar leylines from which I drew my magical energy seemed to lead directly into this place. Some of the bigger leylines actually _felt_ older than Princess Celestia and Princess Luna combined. There was so much power; so much raw energy flowing through my veins suddenly. It calmed me down, slowly. Then, out of the nothingness, a voice boomed through my mind. It spoke softly, but the voice was still full of raging energy. It sounded five times worse than when Luna used the Royal Canterlot voice._

_ "Twilight Sparkle," the voice said. I gasped, shivering, as the voice washed over my again. "I was wondering when you would venture down here, child."_

_ "Who—Who are you?" My voice was dry, and my shivering became worse. I could not tell if it was from fear or just plain nerves._

_ "I am all things. I am everything. I am Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Discord, and many others you have never met. I am known as Dumnezeu. You may call me Dumn if you so wish."_

_ "Um—"I can't seem to stop stuttering. "Pl—please, Dumnezeu, why am I here? Wh—why have you been waiting for me?"_

_ "My purpose is to show you what has been. My purpose is to make you understand."_

_ "What am I supposed to understand?" I asked, frowning to myself. I almost did not notice my shivering slow then disappear._

_ "Watch, young Twilight, and learn…."_

_ Images started to form around me; slowly at first, then more swiftly. The thing I noticed first was the light. It was not like normal Sunlight, and it was not like candles, or electric lamps, or any other light I had ever seen. It was a dull, red light, gloomy and oppressive. It was steady, with no flickering or changing of spectrum. I glanced around me. I was standing on a flat paved surface, looking and feeling exactly like the pavement of Equestria I was used to by now. Buildings surrounded me; some of them reaching up and up into the great sky. The sky itself was a very dark blue, almost black. Looking at the sky, I began to wonder if there should be any light at all. _

_ The buildings and the paved road I was standing on looked to be made of red stone, but that could also have been because of the curious light. Upon closer inspection of the road, I determined that it was quite old; there were cracks and small fissures crisscrossing its surface that spoke of neglect. The doorway of the skyscraper right next to me was full of long fallen rubble. I slowly turned in a circle, taking in the strange sights before me. Several building windows still had glass in them, but most had been blown out, judging from the way the glass lay. A building slightly farther behind me looked as though it had barely survived a massive explosion; its exterior was blackened with soot. Though I strained my ears, I could hear nothing but an oppressive, cold silence; a silence that hinted that there was nothing growing in this vicinity._

_ Uncertainly, I raised a hoof to take a small step forward. Before I could do so, a great rumbling suddenly reached my ears. The roar of falling masonry was unmistakable; the road shook under my hooves, almost causing me to lose my balance. My horn flared, and I slowly teleported to a large rise in the road ahead of me. A swift wind started blowing from behind me. It was cold, but somehow it was… stale. It was the only thing I could use to describe it. The wind was dead and stale. I skittered back nervously as a building directly to the left of me collapsed with a sudden cry of rubble. As I glanced around once more from this higher vantage point, I could see the Sun for the first time. It was riding down low upon the horizon, much redder and far bigger than Celestia's Sun that I am used to. I suddenly had an inexplicable feeling that this Sun was very old, and at the last stages of its life, almost as if it were tired of looking down upon this world._

_ Oh, what a world it was, too! I found myself studying the lay of the land beneath me eagerly. It was so familiar. There was a small blotch of trees off to my right, with an ominously silent town next to it. On the other side of the town were empty fields. Raising my eyes a bit more, I could just make out a majestic looking city sprouting out of the side of a mountain. A giant waterfall poured its way off that mountain. The realization hit me like a well placed blow. This place was _Equestria_. The mountain city was Canterlot, I was sure of it. The small town in front of me had to be Ponyville. The forest next to it was the Everfree. If I could find a higher vantage point, I could probably see acre upon acre of land—From Canterlot all the way to Manehattan, and from there to Fillydelphia, and much more. I could even probably see what resided in the great beyond—the area on the other side of the Everfree, a place that no one has ever ventured before._

_ Dumnezeu's voice suddenly sounded within my ear. "Look well unto what no eyes but mine and mine daughters have ever seen. Even my daughter's mercenary Shadow Crescent never saw this. This was Equestria, the greatest country within all Equis. None other country could come to match Equestria. It is silent now, yes. Once, the air was full of noises from Equestria: The trampling of hooves, the chirping of birds, the babble of voices, and the sound of wind rushing through wings. Once, the air was also full of the sounds of battle: Gunfire, orders shouted, explosions. All in one moment, however, I blotted it out forever."_

_ "Why?" I asked, struggling to keep the tremor from my voice._

_ "I had to start anew, young Twilight. I had no other choice. Equestria was not the only nation doing battle. Everything I had once created, ponies, zebras, griffons, and even dragons fought. They fought over land, and resources, and because they were consumed with a deep seated hatred for each other. Silvia Violetdew, the last and the greatest Queen of Equestria, gave her life so that I, Dumnezeu, the Star who created all of Equis, would find a way to save the world she loved and bring Harmony unto it. I was with her in her final moments of her life, in the final battle this land would ever see. I show you this, the end of the Old Equestria, so that you might understand what takes place later. The wars of Old Equestria and Silvia Violetdew's death are not to be seen yet by your eyes. Now, you must watch."_

_ I followed Dumnezeu's advice, but there was nothing to see. There was nothing but the rapidly crumbling buildings and the dying Sun in the sky. Then, I saw movement for the first time. I squinted with my eyes; I could make out the towering forms of Ursa Majors and Ursa Minors. The gigantic beasts scoured Equestria, tearing up trees and other plant life by the roots with their movements. Minute by minute great forests disappeared. Equestria as I knew it was rapidly turning barren; I could see all sorts of things that were normally hidden to pony eyes. I could see little humps and hallows and imperfections clear as day. The grass mysteriously died. The rubble from the buildings ground into dust that scattered on the wind, the only thing I could still feel in this accursed place. In moments, I was staring out across an Equestria that was nothing more than a blank hunk of rock. I suddenly found it hard to believe that anything had ever lived there. The Ursas themselves became old and died, leaving behind great bones. It looked like they had all died thousands of years ago. The, for a long time, everything was still. I peered about, wondering what was going to happen next._

_ At long last, something white—A long, level line of whiteness that gleamed in the light of the dying Sun—Came moving swiftly towards me from the northern end of the dead Equestria. A terrible sounding noise broke the silence: It started out as a small murmur, a whisper against my ears. Then in rapidly grew into a rumble, and then a roar. Now I could finally see exactly what the line of moving white was: a foaming wall of water. The seas were rising. And it was not just the seas, either. In the treeless landscape before me, I could see everything happening quite clearly. The rivers and streams grew ever larger. The lakes grew and grew before joining into other lakes and rivers. Valleys turned into new lakes, and mountains became new islands. As the rushing wave of water approached me, I realized, for the first time, just how high up I really was. The water stopped a few feet below my own hooves. I frowned slightly. Had Dumnezeu moved me to a higher vantage point before all this began? I had no clue. Now, there was level water all the way from where I stood to where the waters seemed to touch the sky._

_ Then, there was movement in the sky. The swollen, red Sun climbed up towards its noontime zenith, seeming to grow even larger and redder than ever before. It had to be at least thirty times bigger than Celestia's Sun. The blinding reflection of that Sun off of the waters before me made what was left of the Old Equestria gleam like blood. Then, wonders upon wonders, Luna's Moon came up, quite in her wrong position. She was extremely close to the Sun, and was also blood red. Both great orbs hung in the sky for a moment, before the Moon started moving towards the Sun. Slowly at first, then with greater momentum the Moon closed the short distance to her partner. At last they collided, running together to form one great sphere in the sky. Great globules of fire rained down from it into the water, and great gouts of steam rose up with sinister hissing._

_ Then Dumnezeu's voice spoke in my ear again, almost to himself, "Now, to make an end."_

_ At these words, the great fiery globe in the sky flickered. It flickered once, then twice, then thrice. All at once, it disappeared, snuffed out like a candle's flame. There was instantly total darkness. Wind howled through the sightless landscape, and I could hear the water rapidly turning into frozen ice. Although I could feel that stale wind earlier, I could not feel the bitingly cold wind that now raced through the dead land I knew was still somewhere before me. I had no idea how long I stood there, straining my eyes to see anything. Eventually, the wind stopped, and the sound of hardening ice no longer reached my ears. With a horrible realization, I realized that this was simply… Nothing. It was no world. No light. No wind. Nothing at all. I could not even feel the supposed surface I was standing on. But then, out in the darkness, a voice clearly began to speak. The voice spoke no words I recognized, and even at times it seemed to be singing more than just speaking. I could tell that the speaker was still a good ways away from me, yet, but I could not determine where the voice was coming from. Sometimes it seemed as if the voice was coming out of the great Nothing around me. The Voice shook with an unbridled power, the voice so deep it sounded as though it was the voice of the earth itself. The voice was certainly the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. I found myself longing for the simple life I had led before all the craziness had started._

_ I longed for my little tree house library in Ponyville. I longed for my studies of magic and friendship. I wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by books and my true friends, without having to worry about death and pain and fear of more loss. Then, something wondrous happened, something that left me gasping for breath: the blackness overhead, and all at once, was suddenly blazing with silver stars, too many for me to even begin counting. They did not come out one by one like they did on a summer evening. One moment there was nothing but black overhead and the next there were thousands upon thousands of little pinpricks. They formed constellations, just as big and bright as the Equestria I knew. There were no clouds in the sky. Then the Voice on the Earth began to grow steadily louder at long last, almost as if its owner was slowly pacing its way towards me. Then, something else happened._

_ A light breeze picked up, one I could feel, and it was very fresh. It was even fresher than the breezes we could get at Ponyville. Then the sky, way down low near the horizon, began to grow a little lighter, a little more gray than black. And still, the voice still spoke and sang, almost as if it were coaxing the land to come alive. It steadily grew brighter and brighter, with enough light for me to see rolling hills and dips in the land once again. I could easily distinguish my purple coloring from the inky blackness that was still semi surrounding me. The northern sky slowly turned from grayish white to pink, then from pink to gold. The talking Voice rose higher and higher, then higher still. And just as it swelled into the most beautiful and powerful words yet, the Sun rose. That right there took my breath away. It looked even more magnificent than Celestia's Sun normally was. _

_ I could instantly tell it was a young Sun. I could almost _imagine_ that the Sun actually laughed as it rose. Its beams shot across the land, and I could tell that, once more, I was standing in Equestria, this time upon the Eastern Mountains. I could see everything below me. I could see the place where Canterlot will eventually grow upon the Northern Cliffs. I could see numerous places were towns will be, Ponyville and Manehattan and Fillydelphia and Los Coltston. I could see the starting of the Everfree forest, looking much more tame and friendly than I had ever seen it. Even as I watched, rivers appeared and began to crisscross the surface of the land beneath me. Lakes formed and grew larger. Trees grew and grew. Grass, flowers, other foliage sprouted up at the summoning of the Voice. Then I saw the owner of the Voice, and the sight of him chased any other coherent thought from my mind._

_ He was a stallion. And I don't mean like the little pony stallions I am used to seeing. He is a true full blown stallion, one who made Big Macintosh look like a _very_ small toy. He is huge, and shaggy, and bright. His coat gleamed whiter than Princess Celestia's ever did; dotting his form was also patches of inky blackness and blue that made Princess Luna's coloring look pale next to it. A magnificent horn sprouted from his forehead, a horn that was greater than any Unicorn horn I had ever seen. Pearly white feathered wings helped him keep his balance, wings that would make Rainbow Dash burn with envy, and that was saying something. His shaggy hooves where shod in the purest crystal, rising up to encase his lower legs. But the most captivating thing I found about him was his eyes. Even though he was still quite a distance away from me, I could still see his eyes. They burned a bright, bright gold, as bright as the sun he had called into existence. Little flecks of midnight blue and black flickered in those twin orbs, mesmerizing me. I knew, without even asking, that this was Dumnezeu. The magnificent Alicorn paid scant attention to me. However, seeing as this was just a memory of what had happened centuries ago, he probably didn't even know I was there. I couldn't tear my eyes off of him._

_ Then, his voice changed. Whereas before it had been talking in a stately, rhythmical tone, now it seemed as if he were whispering. It was like he was trying to conspiratorially attempting to persuade a scared foal out of its hiding place. Glancing around, the sight I took in caused me to shiver in excited wonder. The grassy land below me was bubbling. It was bubbling and rippling like splashes created by throwing a stone into a pond. In all directions, about thirty yards from Dumnezeu, the land was swelling into bumps. Some were quite large, while others were very tiny. And then, out of these humps and oddities in the land emerged… ponies. The humps in the earth swelled to a great big size then burst, revealing ponies. And not just ponies either: Ursa Majors, a dragon or two, Thestrals, and more. Squirrels, rabbits, snakes, rodents of all shapes and sizes dotted the land around Dumnezeu. Small insects buzzed here and there before dispersing to find new homes. I was pretty sure I even saw a small swarm of Parasprites. The first wave of creatures dispersed, and then a new wave appeared. The only creatures to remain near Dumnezeu were the ponies. Looking closely, however, I could easily see some Zebras, Griffons, Changelings, and some sort of odd bipedal creature. The creature was tall, with no muzzle and beady eyes. Try as I might, I could not get a close look at them. The five different groups showed no animosity towards each other. They simply divided into groups based on their species and waited. I could see Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies off to one side, all clustered around each other in tight knit units. Suddenly, Dumnezeu raised his muzzle to the heavens, and this time I could understand the words he spoke:_

_ "Come, my daughters!" He roared. His voice shook the earth; Ponies, Zebras, Griffons, and Changelings alike jumped slightly at the sudden frightening noise. "Come, my daughters! Come, Princess Celestia, Mare of the Sun, and Princess Luna, Mare of the Moon! Your Father and King summons you forth!"_

_ What I saw next caused my knees to weaken. I felt as though I had taken a hoof to the stomach. Descending down to Dumnezeu were none other than Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. But they were not like the Princesses I knew. Simply put, they were beautiful, more beautiful than I had ever seen them. Celestia practically glowed with a golden aura and Luna gleamed with midnight blue and black. They were almost too bright and regal looking to look at. I found myself fighting the urge to kneel myself and prostrate before the Princesses, like everypony was doing before me. I heard Dumnezeu's voice in my ear again._

_ "This is the birth of the new Equestria, and the new Equis. Alas, although I tried my best, I still could not prevent the world from drifting right back to the old world I had destroyed." The scene around me shifted. I saw Griffon, Changeling, and Zebra scouting parties scouring Equis for a place of their own to settle in, away from the Ponies. I saw Unicorn, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies creating their own major cities and homesteads, rather than living together as Dumn had planned. I saw the strange bipedal creatures—"Humans." Dumn had called them—searching a magical way to leave Equis for good. I watched as Princess Luna became increasingly jealous of her elder sister. I watched as Princess Celestia appeared to be completely oblivious to Luna's envy. I watched Captain Steel Keyheart of the Solar Guards, and his second-in-command Skyflare as they both woke up one morning to discover that the Sun had not yet risen._

_ "How old are Keyheart and Skyflare?" I asked wonderingly._

_ "They are old, even by the standards of the stars," Dumn answered simply. "They are stars themselves, you know. They were both bound into a Pony form so that they would still be able to serve my daughters. Now, watch."_

_ And watch I did. I watched the ensuring confrontation between Celestia and Luna, after the latter lost control of her magic and turned herself into Nightmare Moon. I watched the following fight between Celestia's forces and Luna's forces; I watched Ponies who did not know warfare attempt to kill each other. The memories where flooding faster now, almost as if Dumn wanted to get this over as quickly as possible. I saw the Humans return from wherever they had went. I watched legions upon legions of Ponies and Humans battling each other in the growing Civil War between Celestia and Nightmare Moon. I watched as Celestia turned to Dumn, desperate for aid. I watched as Dumn used a great deal of his power to work the biggest piece of magic he had ever wrought: Harmony. He infused a part of himself into Equis himself. He created the Elements of Harmony and gave them to Celestia. Attuned to Equis and Dumn, the equal of Harmony itself, the Elements were able to banish Nightmare Moon inside of the Moon itself. The Equestrian Civil war was over. Years upon years passed. Harmony had finally been brought to Equis. As the years passed, Humans eventually disappeared from Equis again. The scene finally wavered, then slowed upon a single scene. It tried to form around me, but it did not form clearly There was some odd white mist that was obscuring the rest of the scene. I looked at it, and felt my entire world turn up-side down._

_ It was me, as a small foal, no more than a few hours old. I was resting inside a gilded crib. Next to the crib stood Princess Celestia herself, looking down at me with all of the love of a mother. "Twilight Sparkle," she said, as if naming me for the first time. "My daughter." The scene around me faded to black. I felt dizzy, and sick. Was this why Celestia's death had affected me so much?_

_ "Dumnezeu…" My voice was ragged, harsh. "Is that last scene true? I am Princess Celestia's Daughter?"_

_ Dumnezeu was silent for so long that I thought he was not going to answer me. "Yes, Twilight Sparkle," he finally said, softly. "You are the daughter of Princess Celestia. In an indirect way, you are my daughter. Have you ever wondered why your eyes are so different than your foster parents'? You foster mother, Twilight Velvet, had pretty sky blue eyes. Your father had golden eyes. You should have had gold or blue eyes. But, you see, the violet eyes are a mark of a demi-god. Have you ever wondered why no other ponies you have met have shared your eye color? It is because there is no other pony like you."_

_ "I'm a _demi-god_?" I squeak, barely able to get the words out._

_ "Yes, Twilight. When Princess Celestia took you as her protégé, she knew it was time for her to return to her daughter and give you aid."_

_ "But why did she give me into a foster home in the first place? Didn't she love me?"_

_ "She loved you very much, Twilight Sparkle. She had no choice but to put you into a foster home. Your father abandoned Celestia after he discovered who she really was." Here Dumn's voice took on a harsher quality. "Celestia wanted to make sure you grew up as normally as possible before she attempted to teach you the truth. But Harmony started falling apart before she could get the chance. This is why she told you that you were to be her heir. It was not because you were her most powerful student she's ever taught. It was because you are her daughter."_

Those last words echo around in my tired mind as I lay curled around Rainbow Dash. My friends all knew, of course; I had told them as soon as I had been able. To my great relief, they treated me now differently than before. Tomorrow was another day. I would be presented right back in front of the Grand Inquisitor to be questioned about my past activities yet again. But no matter what happened, I could not let them know that I was the daughter of Princess Celestia. My friends had refused to divulge that information, and I was not about to give it up, either. As my resolve within my body and mind strengthened, I finally feel into an uneasy slumber.


End file.
